


sharp teeth (the tiger is out)

by thingswhat



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Not Human, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Blood Drinking, Established Relationship, Imprisonment, M/M, Rescue, Rough Kissing, vampire!Barnaby, welcome to my self-indulgent tropes alice, were-tiger!kotetsu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 08:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30069354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswhat/pseuds/thingswhat
Summary: taken captive by a sorcerer NEXT, Kotetsu and Barnaby have to break out (a weretiger!Kotetsu and vampire!Barnaby AU)
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	sharp teeth (the tiger is out)

Kotetsu growled, the sound bestial, echoing against the dank basement’s walls as he surged against the chains holding him. He felt the metal of the manacles digging into his flesh as he strained against his restraints again and again until veins stood out on his neck and sweat and blood trailed from his wrists. “Bunny!” he yelled, then bellowed again, even louder, “Bunny!!”

They’d been hunting down the sorcerer NEXT that had been terrorizing the city’s Bronze Stage for the last few weeks, following a trail that’d been frustratingly faint while the other Heroes investigated other leads. All but at the point of deciding they were at a dead end, he and Barnaby had stumbled into the criminal’s abandoned lair in an old mansion—and right into a trap. The NEXT had been waiting, with swarms of minions, overwhelming them almost immediately with surprise and sheer numbers of summoned creatures.

Then Barnaby’s frantic shouted alert to the other Heroes over his communicator cut off into a scream as the NEXT gestured, and the entire roof above them peeled away and sunlight flooded the great hall. The sun didn’t kill Barnaby—but it _hurt_ , and Kotetsu saw red, roaring as he heard his partner in pain, even as the minions dogpiled him, pinning him to the ground and shackling him with something that drained his power instantly and forced him out of his shift. The last he’d seen was Barnaby being dragged away, before a sharp blow to his head and unconsciousness.

And he’d woken here, in the dimness and the damp, alone, fettered by the same magicked metal that sucked away his power as fast as he could generate it, slipping through his grasp like sand through his fingers. Kotetsu sagged against the chains with a low moan. Bunny, what had they done with Bunny?

Then, a sound—a rustle, the sibilant hiss of something sliding against something, and…footsteps? Kotetsu peered into the dimness, cursing being limited to human senses in the low light. “Who’s there?” he shouted.

A whisper of a low laugh, pained, but oh god, so welcome. “Could you be any louder, old man? I think they heard you up on the Gold Stage.”

“Bunny!” His chains gave a rattle and a creak as Kotetsu leaped against them with excitement and joy, even as relief nearly brought him to his knees. Ahead of him, he could see the faintest hint of a pale form in the darkness that was growing larger ever so slowly, until finally it barely resolved into the form of Barnaby. “Are you okay? What’d they do to you? How’d you get away?”

“If you want questions answered, you generally need to stop asking more,” Barnaby snarked, but there was amusement in his voice, and god, Kotetsu wanted to hug him so much right now. The younger man groaned quietly, finally shuffling close enough that Kotetsu could see him clearly—and fuck, Barnaby looked _wretched_. 

The sound of something sliding against something was Barnaby’s hand pressed against the cinderblock wall, leaning so heavily against it as he walked it was obviously the only thing keeping his partner upright. His skin was flushed—no, burned—pink and red and…and worse, one eye swollen shut fully and the other very nearly there, and he looked so weakened, a limp husk of himself, like if Kotetsu gave one puff of breath, Barnaby would dissipate entirely. A whine, low and plaintive, stuck in Kotetsu’s throat, “Bunny.”

“I’m fine. No, I am,” he interrupted Kotetsu’s grumbled protest. “I will be.” Pushing away from the wall, staggering a bit, he ran his hands over the chains imprisoning Kotetsu, making a displeased, worried noise as he found the blood and mangled skin below the cuffs around Kotetsu’s wrists. “The NEXT is clueless about vampires. They knocked me out and left me outside in the sun with barely more than human grade handcuffs on and a small group of those creatures guarding me. I don’t know why he thought I would just helplessly lay there and die.”

Testing his strength against the chains, Barnaby yanked against where they were anchored into the walls, growling, building to a full-out shout as he strained. The links and bolts groaned, creaking, but held fast, and Barnaby sagged against the wall again, panting. ”The creatures return to the plane they were summoned from if you slay them,” he continued after a moment. “And the NEXT sent most of the rest of his forces out against the others now that they’re close. He’s underestimating us since he has us captured, so we’ll have the element of surprise on our side when we take him on again.” 

Kotetsu hummed. “The guy may not know anything about vampires, but he knows about were creatures. Whatever these chains are made of, they’re draining me. And they’re stronger than even you are.” He paused, giving Barnaby a loaded look. “You’re gonna have to bite me, Bunny.” Steamrolling over Barnaby’s response even before the younger man could start to protest, “You have to. It’s the only way you’ll be able to break the chains and let me get my power back. And, most of all, you’ll _heal_.”

But Barnaby was still shaking his head. “You know the laws. It’s even in our contracts. _Both_ of our contracts.”

“Fuck it,” Kotetsu snarled, “break the laws, break the rules, who cares. If it makes you better, it’s worth it. And it’ll mean we can kick that asshole’s ass and finally stop him for sure. C’mon,” he wheedled, then outright begged, “let me help you. _Please_.”

Barnaby stared at him, then reached out and softly ran a finger over Kotetsu’s cheek, down to his jaw, gently raising the older man’s chin and turning his face slowly one direction, then the other. “You’re sure?” he asked, quietly. “This could get us in a lot of trouble.”

“I’m all about trouble. Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, the t stands for trouble, you know that,” Kotetsu grinned at Barnaby’s snort, then his expression softened. “And come on, you know I’d do anything for you. You’re my partner. You’re my lover. You’re everything.”

Now both of Barnaby’s hands were on Kotetsu’s face, cradling it like he were delicate glass. Even in the dimness, he could see moisture beneath his partner’s eyes shimmering. “Foolish old man,” he whispered, and his lips against Kotetsu’s were cool and smooth. “Foolish, big-hearted old man,” he said again, after the kiss. The words were a breath against his face. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

His face still cradled against Barnaby’s one palm, Kotetsu let his partner tilt his head, felt him trace the fingers of his other hand down his neck—tracking his veins, no doubt, but also caressing, and Kotetsu shivered. There was the brush of a kiss pressed against his neck, then another, then the tickle of Barnaby’s tongue against his skin, tasting, and Kotetsu couldn’t help the low, shuddery moan that gasped from his lips. Finally Barnaby crowded him abruptly back against the wall, Kotetsu’s chains rattling as his arms wrapped around the younger man in a reflexive embrace, and bit down _hard_.

The sharp, piercing ache from Barnaby’s teeth curled heat and want through Kotetsu’s body, all the way from his neck to his groin, and the burning, bruising throb as he began to suck left Kotetsu clutching at him, one arm wrapped around the young vampire’s waist, the other buried in Barnaby’s long curls. His eyes fluttered. Distantly, he could hear is own voice hoarsely keening, “Please, please, please,” as he clung to Barnaby, trying to press impossibly closer.

Then the ache and the burning in his neck disappeared as Barnaby pulled away, Kotetsu whimpering at the loss and trying to pull him back again. But Barnaby only leaned against him, resting his forehead against Kotetsu’s, breathing hard and fast. The swelling around them gone, his eyes cracked open as he finally caught his breath, glowing a brilliant blue from behind his glasses and suffusing them both in soft light. “Kotetsu,” he breathed. His teeth were glistening red, shining in the glow from his eyes, and so were his lips. Kotetsu watched a drop of his blood trail slowly from Barnaby’s lower lip down to his chin. 

He snapped his gaze away, taking in the rest of the younger man’s face—smooth, unburned, unmarred skin, a blush dusting his cheeks—and a weight lifted from his shoulders to see Barnaby healed again. “Thank fucking god,” he muttered. Then his eyes drifted back to the shine on his partner’s lips, and this time he couldn’t look away, fixated, until finally he gave in and dove forward to kiss Barnaby forcefully, not caring about the slick of his blood on the his lover’s lips or the taste of it in his mouth as Barnaby all but tried to devour him in return with a ragged, wanting groan. 

Eventually Barnaby pulled away with a sharp inhale, muttering a curse under his breath. “Later,” he panted, voice becoming brusque when Kotetsu tried to lean in again. “Focus,” he demanded, though his expression gentled when Kotetsu, snapping back to himself, shook his head roughly to clear it. Grasping Kotetsu’s arms, he stepped out of his embrace with obvious regret. “Later,” he repeated, “I promise.”

“Yeah,” Kotetsu nodded, looking down, though he licked his lips to catch the taste of blood and Barnaby just once more, then caught Barnaby’s gaze again with a smirk. “I’ll hold you to it.” He watched then as Barnaby ran his hands over the chains yet again, this time breaking the links with ease, snapping first one length with a tug, then the other. Then he did the same with the manacles around Kotetsu’s wrists—supporting each of Kotetsu’s hands in his, he peeled the thick metal away as if he were simply removing the peel from a piece of fruit. 

Watching Barnaby frown down at the bloodied mess of his wrists where the metal had dug in while Kotetsu struggled, he thought about the laws forbidding vampires from drinking were-creatures’ blood. People feared how powerful vampires were when boosted like that, how strong, how fast, how fantastically super human they became. Barnaby lifted each of Kotetsu’s hands, kissing the insides of his wrists so carefully, so tenderly, Kotetsu could barely even feel the touch of it. People feared—but Kotetsu didn’t. He’d never feared Barnaby, not even once. Not even that time when Barnaby forgot him because of that asshole Maverick. 

Suddenly a rush of power slammed into Kotetsu, staggering him and nearly sending him stumbling to his knees, only saved from falling by Barnaby grabbing at his shirt and keeping him upright until he could find his footing again. “Wow. Okay,” he said dazedly. “My power’s back.” It filled him like a buzz, a rumble like approaching thunder, potential energy a living thing coiled right beneath his skin, “God, that feels so much better,” he purred.

“You’re good to change, then?” 

“Yep, should be.” Reaching inside himself to where the shift always lurked, lying in wait, he found it easily, ready and eager to be released. Removing his vest, he unbuttoned his shirt and let it slide from his shoulders to drape from where it was tucked into his waistband. Rolling his shoulders, he inhaled deep—and let the change loose.

Instantly it crashed through him, surged over him like a wave—his bones, body expanding, broadening, muscles bulking, claws sprouting from his fingers, teeth sharpening, becoming jagged, feral. Opening a tiger’s eyes in a man’s body, Kotetsu _roared_.

“What the fucking hell?!” A shout came from the darkness, and lights suddenly flooded the basement. 

Barnaby swore. “A patrol.” He spun, flew forward so fast, even Kotetsu’s were-sight could barely track him. It was as if he teleported, instantly appearing next to the guard and launching into a powerful roundhouse kick that caught the guy under the chin and slammed him hard against the wall, his body slumping to the floor. Then Barnaby was immediately next to him again, hand pressed against a spot on the guard’s neck. “He’s alive,” he called back, sounding relieved. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure i held back enough. He’s just human.”

“’s’okay, Bunny,” Kotetsu’s voice was a gravelly growl, and he smiled with a predator’s teeth, “I didn’t doubt you would.” His partner knew how Kotetsu felt about killing, and even now Kotetsu didn’t have a single worry that Barnaby would go too far. 

“Then let’s find the NEXT before word gets out and ruins our chance for surprise.” His partner gave Kotetsu a flat look out of the corner of his eye. “If someone being loud again didn’t already alert him.” 

Scratching at the back of his head, Kotetsu shrugged, only a little abashed. “I can’t help it, Bunny. When I’m Wild Tiger, it’s time to let out a wild roar!” 

Barnaby rolled his eyes in response, but Kotetsu could see the curl almost but not quite hidden at the corner of his still red-stained lips. Then, with one last glance at each other as if to reassure themselves that the other truly was all right, they both took off into the mansion in pursuit of the NEXT.

**Author's Note:**

> For the March Flash fiction tenth prompt: Breaking the Rules. Also posted at my tumblr, thingswhatareawesome. Parenthetical part of the title is reference to the best poem in the history of poetry, The Tiger, by Nael, age 6. You know the one.
> 
> (Not that it appears here, but the way I envision this AU, heroes are not just NEXTs, but also a mix of non-human creatures and mythical/legendary beings. Fire Emblem would be a human with fire abilities, but Blue Rose is a siren who also wields ice magic. Sky High is a sylphid, an elemental spirit of air, while Origami Cyclone is a shapeshifter who, unlike others of his kind, can only turn into humans, which leaves him feeling lesser and not useful, since other shapeshifters can be animals and things, as well. Rock Bison can transform into both stone and metal, and is super strong and tough, and Dragon Kid is decended from the Chinese goddess of lightning, Dian Mu. It is Doc Saito's secret that he's a NEXT as well, with the power of invisibility, and he developed his very soft speech as a child, as that way he could make people have to focus very closely on him, ensuring that he was always being *seen*.)


End file.
